Canberra Raiders 2023 Previews with Steve Green

[ChampionBets]

G'day guys,
back again for another season. Hope you enjoy the previews!

2023 Round 1: North Queensland Cowboys v Canberra Raiders

Cowboys 1.31
Raiders 3.45
Cowboys -8.5 (1.87) / Raiders +8.5 (1.94)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

5:30pm, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville

Although the Cowboys were the surprise packet of 2022, it seems the books are not yet convinced they are the real deal heading into 2023. The Raiders head into this one off the back of some horrible trial form and missing their attacking dynamo Savage at 1. They have no real option to replace him and will be playing someone with very little experience, if any, at fullback. Most likely it will be Seb Kris. When you throw in the fact that Rapana is aging and Smith-Shields is inexperienced and coming back from long injury, I think the Cowboys outside backs will fancy their chances.

With Dearden and Townsend boasting great short kicking games, I think the absence of Savage at 1 is something the Cowboys will take full advantage of. One of the big innovations of 2022 was the short kick to the blind side, something the Panthers did incredibly well in the semi final and grand final. Fullbacks that get lazy or lose concentration, are easily exposed the Cowboys have some terrific kick chasers.

The Cowboys might be missing Leilua and Gilbert in the back row, but they have plenty of depth and I expect guys like Neame and Dunn to stand up in Round 1 off the bench. Some of the Raiders forwards however, like Whitehead and Papalii are past their best, and could struggle to match the fitness and intensity of the Cowboys pack coach by Todd Payten.

Playing in the Townsville heat in front of what will be a huge parochial crown, I think the line here should be closer to 12 and I think the Cowboys are value here.

Cowboys by 12.

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 2: Dolphins v Raiders

While I did not think they could win, one of the few things I got right heading into Round 1 was that the Dolphins were not the easy beats the market seemed to think they were. The absence of a marquee signing was overstated by the pundits, and Coach Bennett proved that he is unmatched in his ability to get the best out of his players through great defence and simple execution.

With a sold out Dolphin Oval this weekend and no major changes to their line up, I am surprised the bookies have given such a big head start in this one. Although the Raiders showed great resolve to fight back, their tries against the Cowboys were opportunistic. Guler was a basic crash over, Starling scored off a deflected kick, while Wighton scooped up a short drop out attempt….

So, I think the Dolphins could be hard to beat in this one and like the head start on offer, but it's too close to call.

Predicted score
Dolphins 20
Raiders 20

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 3: Canberra Raiders v Cronulla Sharks

Raiders 2.33
Sharks 1.61
Raiders +3.5 (1.94) / Sharks -3.5 (1.87)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

6:15pm, Sunday

The Raiders absolutely blew their chances against the Dolphins last week, with Wighton and Fogarty’s short kicking game once again proving to be not up to NRL standard.

Out wide, the Raiders are also still missing Savage… with Kris not suited to fullback, but the always stubborn Coach Stuart will stick with it for a few weeks longer than needed.

The Raiders forwards depth is also being exposed. They are still missing Papalii and now missing Mariota, meaning they are drawing on young gun Trey Mooney sooner than they probably planned.

One positive for the Raiders has been the form of Tom Starling, who has been among the Raiders best this season so far.

The Sharks on the other hand, have had a tough start to the season, facing two heavyweight clubs in the Eels and Souths. Although they are clearly missing Hynes in the halves, Trindall and Moylan are still playing great and both have the kicking games to expose Seb Kris’s poor position play at the back.

With a strong forward pack and better outside backs, the Sharks are deserved favourites. The home ground and desperation may keep the Raiders in this match, but I think the bookies have it about right.

Predicted Score
Sharks 22
Raiders 18

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 4: Newcastle Knights v Canberra Raiders

Knights 2.90
Raiders 1.42
Knights +6.5 (1.91) / Raiders -6.5 (1.91)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au

Sunday, 4:05pm

The Knights welcome back a fair bit of talent for this one, with Jayden Brailey, Kurt Mann and Tyson Frizell all lining up. Considering Ponga was injured very early on against the Tigers in Round 1, this is about their strongest line up this year… so it is a little surprising they are still reasonable underdogs against the Raiders.

Although the Raiders were impressive in their opening win of the season against the Sharks, I thought they were a little fortunate at times with some calls going their way. The Raiders made more errors, missed more tackles and made far less metres than the Sharks, but the Sharks were just a little clunky with their attack at times. So although it was a tough win, it was not the kind of win that that makes me think they deserve to be favourite against a team that has played gusty footy so far in 2023.

The Raiders do welcome back Big Papi in the middle, and with Horsburgh, Guler and Tapine, they have some big bodies that pose as a challenge for a Knights team that looks a little light on with no JSaf and Klemmer having moved on.

I think J Brailey is a big inclusion and with the Raiders missing Levi, the Knights are right in this one with the home ground advantage at play. If the Knights didn’t drop Dom Young for Greg Marzhew (horrible defender in terms of reading the play), then I would be tempted to back the plus, but not enough of a margin for me to take this one on.

Predicted score
Raiders 22
Knights 18

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 5: Canberra Raiders v Penrith Panthers

Raiders 4.10
Panthers 1.24
Raiders +12.5 (1.89) / Panthers -12.5 (1.92)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Friday, 6pm

The Raiders were pretty poor against the Knights and with the loss of Wighton, things look set to get worse before they get better. The Raiders are missing their star fullback and now their star number 6. They have no ball playing lock and their experienced forward pack is looking a little slower and immobile than we have become accustomed to in recent years.

Welcoming back Fogarty will help, and Frawley is no slouch. If anything, I think the Raiders will be better at building pressure and playing smart footy (for all his physical prowess, Wighton consistently takes the wrong option when kicking the ball).

As for the Panthers, they will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Eels in Round 4. There is no doubt they have fallen a little in 2023, with Mitch Kenny not providing the spark at hooker. This issue will be even worse now that Luke is out injured with HIA, so there is a sliver of hope for the home team if they can capitalise on the Panthers’ clunkiness in attack.

With only 7 tries scored all year, the Panthers are now in the strange position of having scored the least amount of tries of all teams in the NRL. Therefore, there is the potential that the Raiders turn this into an aggressive scrap and do enough to cover the line.

But the class of guys like Crichton, Ye’o, Edwards and Cleary, along with the return of power runners like Martin on the edge, means I think the odds for this one are about right.

Panthers 22
Raiders 12

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 6: Brisbane Broncos v Canberra Raiders

Broncos 1.17
Raiders 5.20
Broncos -14.5 (1.89) / Raiders +14.5 (1.92)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Saturday, 7:35pm

Two clubs with very contrasting fortunes meeting in this one.

The Broncos have been flying in 2023 and are deservedly sitting on top of the ladder unbeaten. Walsh, Haas, Farmworth and Carrigan are some of the best players in the NRL right now, while Ezra and Reynolds in the halves are a terrific combination.

The Raiders on the other hand are diabolical. Their squad is far too old and their strategy is far too basic. When their defence doesn’t stand up like last weekend, then they look like wooden spoon material. Although the Raiders have a knack for climbing out of their form hole, I cannot seem doing it without guys like Wighton and Savage lining up.

On my ratings, the Broncos deserve to be massive favourites here, which they are.

This might become an opportunity to have as small bet on the Broncos at the line, decision closer to game time...

Predicted score
Broncos 30
Raiders 10

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 7: Canberra Raiders v St George Illawarra Dragons

Raiders 1.47
Dragons 2.72
Raiders -6.5 (1.94) / Dragons +6.5 (1.87)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Sunday, 2pm

The Raiders pulled off the biggest upset of the season last weekend. I thought the Broncos would win by about 20 and then when Tapine was ruled out, I thought it could get ugly. But there was a niggling feeling that the Raiders were not as far off the pace as their recent results suggested and this was where I exercised some discretion to only go the 1 Unit play.

On raw ratings and at home, that should have been a 2-3 unit play, but the Raiders loss to the Panthers got out of hand and besides that, the Raiders had been very competitive in all of their games.

The Raiders win was built on line speed and desperate goal line defence. Because of this, their attacking ratings are still pretty average and I think the Dragons are not without a shot here.

Although the return of Tapine and Wighton will clearly be a positive, I am starting to wonder if Wighton is suited to the role at 6, or whether he is really a 13. Schnieder did nothing special, but it seemed to bring out the best in Fogarty… and by eliminating the 1-2 brain explosions we see from Wighton every few games, the Raiders looked a more balanced outfit.

As for the Dragons, they struggle with their discipline. After watching the NSW Cup team, I actually think Amone is a little lucky to be holding Sullivan out of this Dragons team and think they would look more dangerous with him and Hunt in the halves.

In Canberra and off the back of such a great win, the Raiders will be hard to beat – but I do think the away team is a good shot of covering and think this game will go down to the wire.

Predicted score
Raiders 21
Dragons 20

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 10: Canterbury Bulldogs v Canberra Raiders

Bulldogs 2.35
Raiders 1.60
Bulldogs +4.5 (1.85) / Raiders -4.5 (1.95)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Friday, 6pm

The Raiders have strung together some wins and with the Wighton circus behind the club, they can focus on trying to make 2023 a year to remember.

Their performance against the Titans was promising, but they still conceded 30 points against a team that was well off their best.

I like that Savage is back in the Raiders squad, and I expect him to move to 1 and Kris to play on wing.

For the Doggies, the return of King is big… but I still have concerns at Reynolds at 6 and also think that the Bulldogs bench lacks the experience of the Raiders and the Bulldogs will struggle to keep up after 30 minutes.

Predicted score
Raiders 26
Bulldogs 16

....and an interest in the Raiders covering the line...

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 11: Canberra Raiders v Parramatta Eels

Raiders 1.65
Eels 2.25
Raiders -2.5 (1.90) / Eels +2.5 (1.90)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Saturday, 7:35pm

The Raiders have turned their season around and have flown under the radar in doing so. Besides their boilover win against the Broncos, their other wins have attracted little fanfare. Not to take anything away from them, but the Raiders past three wins have all failed to convince me they are genuine contenders in 2023.

Against the Dragons, they played well – but the Dragons came very close to tying it up on the buzzer. Then against the Dolphins and Doggies, they won despite conceding 30 points. At times, opposing teams are able to score at will against the Raiders by using short grubbers to capitilise on the poor kick defusal skills of make shift fullback Seb Kris.

Furthermore, I still have big concerns over the Raiders around the ruck. Woolford and Starling are getting the job done, but neither are the total package and it is a clear weakness in this Raiders team.

With the Eels are missing Moses and RCG (two of their best players), I think the Raiders with the home ground advantage should be too good here. The Raiders have shown they are often incapable of wrapping up matches, so I am only having a small interest.

Predicted score
Raiders 28
Eels 22

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 12: Canberra Raiders v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

Raiders 1.55
Sea Eagles 2.45
Raiders -4.5 (1.90) / Sea Eagles +4.5 (1.90)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Sunday, 4:05pm

In a weekend full of pretty close match ups, this is the one game where my ratings suggest the home favourite deserves to have a bigger line put up against them.

Although I still have some questions marks around the Raiders at 9 and Kris still looks vulnerable at 1, their recent ability to get the job done is impressive.

As for Manly, although they showed character to fight back against the Sharks, this Manly team has lost their last three matches and manaed to sore an average of 10 points in each of those games. In contrast, the Raiders have won 5 in a row and have not scored less than 20 in all those games.

With nearly a full strength squad to draw upon and the home ground advantage, I have the Raiders about 12 point favourites on my model.

Predicted score
Raiders 24
Manly 12

[The Nickman]

Steve Green’s on a bit of a roll here now that the raiders are too. He got the broncos game wrong, but didn’t we all?

Otherwise he’s doing well!

[Finchy]

Jumped from round 7 to round 10, but otherwise not too bad predictions

[The Nickman]

Jumped from round 7 to round 10, but otherwise not too bad predictions

Even Steve Green needs a holiday, Finchy!

[ChampionBets]

Jumped from round 7 to round 10, but otherwise not too bad predictions

Thanks Finchy!

[ChampionBets]

Jumped from round 7 to round 10, but otherwise not too bad predictions

Even Steve Green needs a holiday, Finchy!

Thanks Nickman!

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 13: South Sydney Rabbitohs v Canberra Raiders

Rabbitohs 1.75
Raiders 2.05
Rabbitohs -2.5 (1.95) / Raiders +2.5 (1.85)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Saturday, 7:35pm

Although Souths are missing some superstars in the form of Latrell and Murray, it could have been worse for them with Cook omitted for Origin and it appears Graham may be ok to line up. When you throw in the fact that Taafe is a great fill in at 1, this Souths line up will still be a very tough team to beat.

As for the Raiders, their winning run came to a crushing end, with an atrocious performance against Manly last weekend. The Raiders lack a real quality No. 9 and although Kris has improved at No. 1, I still think he should be playing centre and Savage returned to fullback. But it was Wighton that really dropped the ball last weekend, with some terrible kicking options and generally very poor organisational play.

The Raiders will be without Young due to Origin duties and co-captain Whitehead is also out (although that is not too much of a loss, as his form has been poor for a while now). Tapine’s 2023 form is well below is 2022 form and the Raiders bench forwards lack the experience needed to make a consistent impact.

On my ratings, the Raiders are slightly better – but when you throw in the home ground advantage to Souths, this one could go either way.

Predicted score
Souths 20
Raiders 20

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 14: Wests Tigers v Canberra Raiders

Wests 2.05
Raiders 1.75
Wests +1.5 (1.95) / Raiders -1.5 (1.85)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Friday, 8pm

Although the media is obsessed with the decision to rest Jarrod Croker for this match so that he can play his 300th game the weekend after in Canberra, I think the bigger question is whether Wests Tigers romping win against the Cowboys in Round 12 was a significant turning point.

During their shocking start to the season, Wests had been performing better than the win-loss record demonstrated. They were making metres, breaking tackles and defensively were not a complete basket case. The basic problem was that they were dropping the ball when it mattered. However since Coach Sheens has promoted Bala to 1, settled on Wakeham and Brooks as the halves and got Bateman playing fit, they have looked a different side.

They have now won three of their past four and their only loss in the past month a loss to Souths, where they were down by 1 try after 70 minutes of footy. Basically, I think they are playing much better than the market reckons and I am surprised they are underdogs here.

Although the Raiders were gutsy to beat Souths last weekend and although they also have been winning a lot of over the past two months, Souths were missing a ton of players and came very close to beating the Raiders. With no Whitehead, CHN and a weary Hudson Young, the Raiders are desperately short on edge back rowers… which is exactly where the Tigers love to attack.

I think that at home and with the Raiders fielding a big, heavy forward pack… Wests will be able to move the ball around and tire out the Raiders big men.

On my ratings, I would have this match Wests -6 and really like the odds on offer here.

Predicted score
Wests 22
Raiders 18

[The Nickman]

I'm with Steve on this one, I genuinely think the Tigers will get us here.

[Northern Raider]

I'm with Steve on this one, I genuinely think the Tigers will get us here.

Excellent. Lock in a Raiders win then.

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 15: Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors

Raiders 1.50
Warriors 2.55
Raiders -4.5 (1.90) / Warriors +4.5 (1.90)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Friday, 6pm

I think the Raiders were lucky to get the win last weekend. They scored two tries from kicks that bounced off the post (one of them should not have been awarded due to a defender being pushed in the back) and the other try was from a dropped bomb. The Raiders made zero line breaks and they continue to look clunky in attack. It was through their willingness to push the envelope in the ruck and desperate scramble that they held Wests scoreless for so long.

While I expect them to bring a similar scrappy game plan to this big occasion, there is a chance that they let the Croker 300 game celebrations distract them from the job at hand. The Warriors are a gritty team in 2023 that have welcomed back some of their grittiest players in recent weeks. Johnson is in career best form and guys like AFB, Barnett, Curran and Harris do not get the credit they deserve. Meanwhile CNK will be coming back to town with a point to prove against his old club.

This is going to be a sensational game that I think will come down to the wire. The Warriors are a tough team to beat this year and although they were outclassed by an understrength the Broncos a fortnight ago, they clicked into gear in the second half last weekend against the Dolphins.

The Warriors will be debuting Ali Leiataua in place of the injured Rocco Berry, and I am very pleased to see him get a shot at the NRL. He has been close to unstoppable at times in the NSW Cup and would have been my pick to take the spot before Berry a few weeks ago.

I would have the away team slight favourites based on their form this year but have once against decided to take the small plus in a match that I think will come down to the final 5 minutes.

Predicted score
Warriors 18
Raiders 18

[The Nickman]

**** Greeny likes a draw, doesn’t he?

[ChampionBets]

**** Greeny likes a draw, doesn’t he?

sometimes, difficult around the Origin weeks!

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 17: Sydney Roosters v Canberra Raiders

Roosters 1.60
Raiders 2.35
Roosters -3.5 (1.90) / Raiders +3.5 (1.90)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Sunday, 6:15pm

The Roosters looked so much better with Manu at 1, but that is not to say that he should replace Teddy at fullback… just that it is clear Manu is not a 6! Coach Robinson need to step up and get his backline selections right. There is no reason for playing Hutchinson in centres and Manu at 6… it was gobsmackingly stupid and I am just happy to see that the coach seems to have woken up to this fact.

With Collins likely to back up, and the Roosters getting a lot more out of guys like Crichton and Nat Butcher in recent weeks, the Raiders have a tough task winning this one.

The Raiders attack in their past two outings has been very poor. Kris is not creative or fast enough to play 1 and Wighton continues to be all over the shop at 6. The Raiders have no real cohesion at 9 and overall, they seem to fumble their way to victory through individual acts of brilliance and sheer will.

I have no idea what either of these teams will dish up and see it going down to the wire.

Predicted score
Roosters 21
Raiders 20

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 18: Canberra Raiders v Gold Coast Titans

Raiders 1.65
Titans 2.25
Raiders -3.5 (1.85) / Titans +3.5 (1.95)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Saturday, 3pm

Raiders were solid against Roosters, but it was more the Roosters continued their horrible form and hailed to capitilise on their second half chances. Wighton still looks clunky at 6 and although Woolford is great defender, the attack around the Raiders ruck is all pretty predictable.

Without Papalii this week, the Raiders forward pack have a tough task to match the Titans. With Fifita, Tino and Moe, this Titans pack is in form and managed to get the better of the fancied Broncos pack last weekend.

The home ground advantage in the middle of winter will help, but it does seem like the sacking of their coach has not slowed down the Titans so far and I think the Raiders are in for a real fight here.

On my ratings, the Titans have a slight edge, but with the home ground advantage I do think the Raiders will be just good enough to get the win.

Predicted score
Raiders 22
Titans 20

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 19: St. George Illawarra Dragons v Canberra Raiders

Dragons 4.00
Raiders 1.35
Dragons +11.5 (1.95) / Raiders -11.5 (1.85)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Friday, 8pm

The Dragons will be without Hunt, but based on his form over the past fortnight, that might be such a bad thing. Ever since it was clear Hunt wanted out, his form has dropped. A player this is not happy rarely plays well and a player that is not happy because their leave request has been denied, is a toxic influence. So, although the players may all be supporting him, there is no doubt to me that his presence has now become a negative.

This weekend, I was looking forward to seeing the Dragons have their young guns lining up in the spine, with Sloan, Sullivan and Amone finally able to show why Coach Griffin was so mistaken not to give them more game time over the past couple of years. However, Sloan is out and this is huge in the context of things. Without Hunt and Sloan, the Dragons are without their two best attacking weapons.

Although the Dragons are still without Bird, when you throw in Lawrie, Molo, Su’a and De Belin, their pack is not the worst looking this weekend. Considering the Raiders are without the injured Papalii and Horsburgh picked for QLD, their pack is a little light on… so the Dragons are a chance of getting the advantage through the middle if Sullivan and Amone manage to kick well and turn around the big Raiders pack.

Although the Raiders are winning and sitting high on ladder, I feel as if they got very lucky against the Titans with some big calls going their way. They have had a relatively soft draw this season and although they are clearly better than the Dragons and should win, but if I had to have a bet on this one, I would actually be taking the Dragons with the plus.

I will wait and see what the coaches do with their squads over the coming days, as there are some interesting bench selections that if changed, could sway me to have a bet on the Dragons at the plus, but not at this stage.

Predicted score
Raiders 25
Dragons 18

[The Nickman]

You have to say old Greeny, just like the Raiders, loves a close game!

[zim]

The guys that usually tear us up (Hunt, Bird, Sloan) are all missing. We might actually be able to get our biggest win of the year. Raiders by 10.

[zim]

The guys that usually tear us up (Hunt, Bird, Sloan) are all missing. We might actually be able to get our biggest win of the year. Raiders by 10.

Pat yourself on the back zim ol boy.

[The Nickman]

Old zim Green over here.

[ChampionBets]

The guys that usually tear us up (Hunt, Bird, Sloan) are all missing. We might actually be able to get our biggest win of the year. Raiders by 10.

Exceptional Zim!

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 21: New Zealand Warriors v Canberra Raiders

Warriors 1.40
Raiders 2.95
Warriors -7.5 (1.85) / Raiders +7.5 (1.95)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Friday, 6pm

The Warriors are finally getting the respect they deserve and this weekend, the Raiders have a chance to show people like myself that they are the real deal in 2023. When these two teams met last, the Warriors proved far too classy in Canberra. With a packed home crowd and Niukore returning from suspension, the Warriors are going to be extremely hard to beat here.

Although the Raiders will welcome back the return of Big Papi and Big Red, they still lack the attacking cohesion of the top teams. They have maintained their winning run off the back of winning close games against mediocre teams (softest draw in the NRL).

On my ratings, the Warriors should be far too good here and happy with them at the minus.

Predicted score
Warriors 26
Raiders 12

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 22: Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights

Raiders 1.65
Knights 2.25
Raiders -3.5 (1.90) / Knights +3.5 (1.90)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Saturday, 3pm

I have to hand it to the Raiders, they are a gritty team in 2023 and you can never really count them out… or be confident they will win! But last week I thought they were pretty lucky to get so close to the Warriors in the final five minutes. A terrific catch by Rapana and then a clever grubber by the same winger… brought them back into the match and then Wighton finally delivered a good attacking play to give then a shot to win.

But so far during their surge up the ladder, their backline moves have looked dis-jointed and unorganized. They score very often off kicks or individual bits of brilliance. While they are a hard team to beat, I think their soft draw has helped them go to the position on the ladder and they are very vulnerable heading into this match against a red-hot Knights outfit.

Not only have the Knights won their past three matches, but they were also highly competitive against the Broncos and Panthers in the weeks preceding those games. They have been in top form for at least a month and a half. On my ratings, they deserve to be slight favourites for this match, despite being away from home.

However, because the Raiders have been so resilient this year and tend to win the close ones, the lean is to the Knights with the plus points.

Predicted score
Knights 22
Raiders 18

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 23: Canberra Raiders v Wests Tigers

Raiders 1.25
Wests 4.00
Raiders -11.5 (1.85) / Knights +11.5 (1.95)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Sunday, 4pm

One of the reasons I have been betting against the Raiders a lot this year, is because I think their ladder position overstates how well they are playing. They have had a very soft draw in 2023 and have won nearly all of their close games. While this is testament to their ability to play gritty and get the job done, it also indicates that they are skating on thin ice and that their Win/Loss record could be a lot different if a few things did not go their way.

Against the Knights, I think the Raiders were exposed as being well off the pace. Although poor performances do happen, losing at home by over 20 points in such a crucial match showed just how clunky the Raiders attack has been this year.

In terms of points scored, the Raiders have the 6th worst attack in the NRL in 2023. Wighton continues to struggle as a 6… with the Souths-bound player racking up only 4 try assists in 17 matches so far in 2023. Without Fogarty’s kicking game, the Raiders would have struggled to score points over the month or two and so I am not sure they can cover such a big line this weekend.

While Wests continue to fall over at the last hurdle, they have looked much better since Api and Brooks have come back on deck. Bula is a sensation, while guys like Papali’I and Bateman look much better when take the ball forward first and look to offload second.

Although I think the Raiders will be too good here, I think the line is a little too long for this one.

Predicted score
Raiders 24
Wests 18

[ChampionBets]

2023 Round 24: Melbourne Storm v Canberra Raiders

Storm 1.22
Raiders 4.20
Storm -11.5 (1.85) / Raiders +11.5 (1.95)
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Sunday, 2pm

Last week, the Storm came up against the powerhouse of the NRL in the Panthers. They were missing Coates and Hughes and unsurprisingly were punished.

The Raiders head into this match with some patchy form but they do have a great record in recent times against the Storm at AAMI. Their recent win over Wests was off the back of some forward passes, while a month earlier they also got home against the Titans with some lucky calls going their way. In recent times, when facing an in-form teams like the Warriors and the Knights, the Raiders were blown off the park.

The Raiders are now without Seb Kris, who has been one of their best players in 2023… and for a team that has struggled to score points this year, that is a big loss.

The Storm look like they have named a strong line up and with a top four spot on the line, I think they will reverse their recent poor AAMI form against the Raiders, and come away with a strong win.

Predicted score
Storm 30
Raiders 14

[ChampionBets]

Steve not really looking forward to this one...

2023 Round 25: Canberra Raiders v Canterbury Bulldogs

Raiders 1.30
Bulldogs 3.50
Raiders -8.5 / Bulldogs +8.5
(Prices from ReadyBet.com.au)

Sunday, 4:05pm

Both these teams were horrible last week, however at least the Raiders are still playing for a finals spot. A win here would lock in a finals spot for the home team and so I understand why they have been placed as pretty big favourites. However, the Raiders were so poor against the Doggies that I think they will head down the Hume with a plan to ambush the Raiders and record the win.

The Raiders spot on the ladder exaggerates how well they have been going. A weak draw and some close wins has seen them stay in the top 8 among teams that I think are in much better form. This was shown over the past month, as the Knights and Warriors beat them with relative ease (noting the Warriors capitulated late to make it a close thing).

I have very little faith in either team here and in those games, I prefer to stay out as it is hard to know which team will turn up with the right attitude.

Predicted score
Raiders 24
Bulldogs 16